A new sound has emerged amongst the latest wave of punk bands in the last ten or so years. A surfy indie-influenced power-pop take on garage punk seems to be exactly the right mix of angst to get the younger generations two-stepping. Bands like Bad Nerves, Wine Lips, Stiff Richards, and Together Pangea, to name a few, have gone on to support legendary touring acts such as Weezer and The Darkness as well as play festivals like Punk Rock Bowling and Riot Fest. Emulating this same sound among them is D.C.-based duo Teen Mortgage. Teen Mortage played two sold-out shows at Zebulon on April 23rd and 24th in celebration of their new album Devil Ultrasonic Dream.
A small but loyal crowd filtered in early to watch the opening act, Spoon Benders. As the intro to their first song began slow and ambient, the band lured us in with a false sense of security before showing their teeth with straight nasty guitar riffs and a supple yet satisfying tempo. The band spins hypnotic melodies, combining the rough and sultry with the smooth and atmospheric.
The main band was only on stage a mere 10 seconds before a pit erupted, painting the walls of the small venue with the flying bodies of sweaty teenagers. Despite minor sound issues in the beginning, the theme of anti-authoritarianism shone through. Gritty yet catchy punk songs were accompanied by early 2000s Thrasher skate videos playing in the background. Younger generations love to bask in nostalgia when it’s mixed with existential nihilism, and the audiovisual clash on display at the show highlighted just that.
The politically charged nature of the lyrics contributed to said nihilism as several people screamed their hearts out to lyrics about greed and fascism. The night took a rather humorous turn as the band enacted a small intermission for water, accompanying the moment with the iconic Wii Shop Channel theme music played in the background. Shortly after, the passion reached an all-time high as several members of the audience attempted to stage dive, rather unsuccessfully. While the set was short by usual show standards, fans still got an opportunity to hear hits like “Oligarchy” and “Tunin In” as well as soon-to-be classics from the new record like “Ride” and “Control”.
Teen Mortgage clearly prides itself on being a band that wears their influences on their sleeve, literally. Vocalist/Guitarist James Guile was rocking a B-52s shirt, while drummer Ed Barakauskas could be seen in a Type O Negative shirt. Later, when the band was mingling with the audience members after the show, Ed would go on to cite his shirt when we asked for a quote, stating “I don’t do well when put on the spot but I can tell you that World Coming Down is the best Type O Negative album.” As we watch the state of semi-mainstream punk shift over time, Teen Mortgage will definitely be a band to look out for.
